Rock and Metal News & Reviews – No Bull!

Menu

Monthly Archives: May 2017

GUNS N’ ROSES will electrify fans into the fall, announcing today a series of fifteen additional North American Stadium and Arena stops on their ongoing worldwide “Not In This Lifetime” tour. Produced by Live Nation, the exhilarating global phenomenon is letting fans get closer with a newly added round of arena shows throughout the U.S. and Canada including stops at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden and Los Angeles’s Forum and Staples Center over Thanksgiving weekend. In addition to the arena shows, a larger-than-life performance for the people of Little Rock, Arkansas has been added on August 5 at War Memorial Stadium. Tickets for the new Stadium and Arena dates go on sale to the general public starting Saturday, June 3. Exclusive GUNS N’ ROSES VIP packages available for North American dates at vipnation.com.

Special guests for the colossal stadium shows have also been revealed including ZZ TOP on the El Paso, Texas and San Antonio, Texas dates; DEFTONES on the St. Louis, Missouri and Minneapolis, Minnesota dates; Sturgill Simpson on the Denver, Colorado, Little Rock, Arkansas, and Miami, Florida dates; ROYAL BLOOD on the Vancouver, British Columbia and George, Wasshington dates; LĪVE on the Winston-Salem, North Carolina and Hershey, Pennsylvania dates; and OUR LADY PEACE on the Montreal, Quebec, Ottawa, Ontario, Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Edmonton, Alberta dates.
Previously announced GUNS N’ ROSES North American tour dates:

AVENGED SEVENFOLD frontman M. Shadows has confirmed to Kaytie of the Razor 94.7 radio station that the band will embark on a full North American headlining tour in January and February 2018. The trek, which will be announced after the completion of AVENGED‘s current stadium run as the support act for METALLICA, was originally “supposed to happen this summer until we got that call from METALLICA, so we decided to put it on hold,” the singer explained.

According to M. Shadows, AVENGED SEVENFOLD had to make the difficult decision to postpone its own tour so that they could be part of the biggest rock package of the summer. “It was actually a little bit of a tough decision, because we had just paid for the whole stage to get built, and that was a lot of money to build that stage set,” he said. “And we were able to use it in Europe and in the U.K., but it is by no means paid off. So the whole idea was to go and take it throughout America, but then we got the call from Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer], and it was, like, ‘We can’t pass that up.’ It’s just too big of a tour, it’ll be too much fun. It’s too good for the rock fan; the rock fans are gonna love that tour. So we basically had to say, ‘Okay, we’re just gonna put the stage in storage for a year and come back to it.’ And hopefully that will all work out for us.”

AVENGED SEVENFOLD worked with the producers of Cirque Du Soleil on the current show. M. Shadows told Metal Hammer: “The production that [was] built is different for us, different for anyone I’ve ever seen. The people we’ve hired don’t do tours; they do Cirque Du Soleil.” Shadows added that the production may require a different schedule, explaining: “This is gonna be drawn out into different types of touring. We’re not going on tour for six months, it’ll be two weeks on, two weeks off.”

Shadows told The Pulse Of Radio that hiring Cirque Du Soleil was part of AVENGED SEVENFOLD‘s quest to create an entirely new kind of live show. “What we want to do is bring a new element to our stage production,” he said. “We don’t want to do all the same things that we’ve been doing. We’re looking at a lot of digital image mapping, we’re looking at inflatables, we’re looking at a show that will be a brand new experience, definitely for rock and metal.”

Cirque Du Soleil is currently the world’s biggest theatrical producer, bringing its unique modern take on the circus concept to more than 90 million people in 271 cities around the world. This marks the first time that the company has collaborated with a touring rock band.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD is touring in support of its seventh album, “The Stage”, which was released at the end of October with almost no promotion beforehand.

The surprise release of the disc, which was announced the night it went on sale, earned the lowest sales of an AVENGED album in 11 years. It sold 76,000 copies in its first week, 73,000 of which were physical.

Extreme metallers ARCH ENEMY will release their tenth studio album, “Will To Power”, on September 8 via Century Media Records.

Commented guitarist Michael Amott: “After many months of writing and recording in the studio, we are delighted to have finally completed work on our tenth studio album, ‘Will To Power’. We are looking forward to sharing new music with you soon. We are equally excited to announce the first leg of our ‘Will To Power’ world tour… Can’t wait to play new and old songs for our fans. See you all soon!”

“Will To Power” will mark the second ARCH ENEMY album since the departure of longtime singer Angela Gossow and addition of her replacement, former THE AGONIST frontwoman Alissa White-Gluz. It will also be the first ARCH ENEMY disc to feature guitarist Jeff Loomis (ex-NEVERMORE), who joined the band in late 2014.

ARCH ENEMY bassist Sharlee D’Angelo recently told Metal Wani about the band’s upcoming follow-up to 2014’s “War Eternal”: “On ‘War Eternal’, there was a certain desperation about that album. But I still can feel it when I listen to it, maybe because I was involved in it. Having lost a longtime, very important member of the band and introducing someone else, a new face into the band, and you wonder, that’s even more, like, ‘Okay, we have a new album. I wonder what people will like about it, or if they will like it at all.’ There’s a few nerves there. In the process of recording that album, writing and recording, there was so much going into… There’s something desperate and very dense about that album. Now, we know we did it. We’re still here; people have accepted the change and embraced Alissa and everything as well. Things are better than they were before, so now you have a completely different vantage point and starting point, for that matter.”

He continued: “This album is a bit more open in that sense. It sounds more open and some of the songs I would say, dare I use the word ‘epic’. [Laughs] It’s different, yes, we can do a lot more now than we could… We just don’t have to cram as much metal as possible in the most sort of ‘energetic’ way. We can do it in other ways as well. Don’t be scared, I’m not saying everything will be slow; that’s not what is happening. It’s extremely ARCH ENEMY, but within what it is ARCH ENEMY, we have gone out to explore new worlds. It will be some of the same and also some new stuff.”

Amott told Rock Hard magazine in January that Loomis — who was the main songwriter in his former band NEVERMORE — has not contributed to the songwriting on the group’s new disc.

Back in December, Loomis told Metal Wani that he would “probably just be doing solos” on ARCH ENEMY‘s upcoming album. He explained: “If you look at it, ARCH ENEMY is Michael Amott — it’s his band, it’s his baby, and he is the main songwriter in the band. I did submit a few songs, and I don’t know if they’ll make it or not. But I definitely will be playing solos on it.”

He continued: “I love being in the band. I am fan of the band. I love the music, and I love playing in front of thousands of people with that band. But we’ll see what happens. It’s kind of the same thing if you can think the same way with NEVERMORE; me and Warrel [Dane, vocals] were the main writers in that band, and we had a revolving door of guitar players. But pretty much, it was me and Warrel that did a lot of it. Steve Smyth wrote a little bit, Tim Calvert wrote for ‘Dreaming Neon Black’, but most of it, eighty percent, was me and Warrel. So each band has their own chemistry and their way of doing things.”

ARCH ENEMY‘s “As The Stages Burn!” DVD was released on March 31 via Century Media. The set contains video footage of the band’s largest stage production to date from their performance last summer at the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany.

PRONG will release its new album, “Zero Days”, on July 28 via Steamhammer/SPV as a CD digipak, 2LP gatefold, digital download and as a stream.

Musically, “Zero Days” hits home from the first bars of the mighty opener “However It May End” to the last bars of the album’s closing track, “Wasting Of The Dawn”. Every track is its own emotional roller-coaster ride, chock-full of massive riffage, ironclad grooves and topped off by Victor‘s ever-improving vocal delivery.

“Zero Days” was once again produced by Tommy Victor, with trusted collaborator Chris Collier as co-producer and engineer.

Victor states about “Zero Days”: “I must say a lot of effort was put into this new ‘Zero Days’ recording. From the minute I would get off tour, I would consolidate ideas from the road and form new ones. Again the focus was on creating good songs. We wanted this record to be modern as well as holding justice to all the previous releases. Again, and maybe even more than normally, I went crazy meticulous with the lyrics. I had built up a lot to say and I wanted to articulate them in the most intelligent way possible.I firmly believe the mission was accomplished all around.

“We are really pleased with the performances on this record as well,” he continues. “It’s a solid outing. We have the anthems, the bangers, the thrashers, the grooves, everything that makes up a PRONG record. It’s definitely a record to listen to start to finish!!”

PRONG has also announced the 2017 European “Zero Days” summer tour, featuring some of the most coveted festivals as well as a run of headline shows.

Victor says: “Europe is a special place for PRONG and 2017 is shaping up to be another touring year for the history books. Many great festivals and great clubs are on the agenda and we will be bringing some new music along as well! We are extremely excited!”

German metal queen Doro Pesch will celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of WARLOCK‘s “Triumph And Agony” album on a short U.S. tour in September.

“Triumph And Agony” was WARLOCK‘s fourth and final album. By the late 1980s, Pesch was the only original member remaining in the group, and under legal threats from former management, decided to carry on under the DORO banner rather than put her career on hold fighting over the WARLOCK name. (Pesch has since won back the right to use the WARLOCK moniker.)

In a 2000 interview with Metal Rules, Doro stated about WARLOCK: “I loved that so much and my heart and soul was so much into it. I was totally devastated when it broke up and it broke up not because of the band but because of all the bullshit around it. It was the record companies, the management, everything. The band had no control anymore, everybody else had, and the band did not. It was really tough and there were a lot of problems and I was totally heartbroken about it. But those times were awesome, man, it was awesome! I will always treasure them. I love to think about the great times.”

Doro told Get Ready To Rock! that “everything fell into place” for WARLOCK after “Triumph And Agony” was released. “The record company was totally behind it, MTV put our song ‘All We Are’ on heavy rotation, which was a big plus, I must say, the fans were there and metal was at its peak between 1987 and 1988. Sometimes you do wish for everything to fall into place, but it’s very rare that this happens as things need to work like a watch.”

Doro‘s last release was a package titled “Strong And Proud – 30 Years Of Rock And Metal”, which came out in June 2016 via Nuclear Blast. It contained three decades of Doro — three unforgettable nights — forever captured on three DVDs and two Blu-rays, including a two-hour-plus music movie.

The news of Nelson and Muriel‘s exit from BUCKCHERRY was confirmed by the band’s guitarist Stevie D., who recently launched a new group called JOSH TODD & THE CONFLICT with BUCKCHERRY singer Josh Todd.

Stevie wrote in a statement: “As most of you may already know, Josh and I have just completed the debut album from our other band, JOSH TODD & THE CONFLICT, which is set to drop in September. We look forward to seeing all of you on the road very soon — keep your eyes peeled for upcoming dates, we’ll be adding them shortly. And, as most of you may already also know, BUCKCHERRY has recently gone through some big changes.

“As we wish the very best for Keith and Xavier in all of their future endeavors, we want you to be the first to know that we’ll be showing up in a huge way for all the BUCKCHERRY dates this summer with the help of a couple of our dearest friends, Kevin Roentgen and Sean Winchester.

“Josh, Kelly [LeMieux, bass] and I can’t even begin to thank you ALL enough for your continued love and support. Our fans are the very best, and we are humbled and forever grateful.”

Muriel apparently referred to his exit from BUCKCHERRY when he wrote in a tweet on Sunday (May 14): “A Heartfelt Thank You to all the fans of the last 11 years.. couldn’t have done it without you!!!! What a ride…. Until next time. X”

The digital deluxe edition release of BUCKCHERRY‘s album “Rock ‘N’ Roll”, was made available in January 2016 via F-Bomb/Caroline. The new deluxe edition featured the record’s original track list as well as the newly released version of “The Feeling Never Dies”, a brand new song titled “Getting Started” and a B-side called “Cannonball”.

INVIDIA, the new band featuring former and current members of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH and SKINLAB, has officially announced the addition of Evan Seidlitz as the newest member of the band, replacing vocalist Travis Johnson on the upcoming “Screaming Black Curse” tour with ALL HAIL THE YETI and supporting act BROKEN RAIL. Seidlitz is no stranger to the frontman spotlight, known for his work in VYCES, THROWN INTO EXILE and GRIMACE. Though Johnson is leaving to fully invest in his role as bassist of IN THIS MOMENT, the band is very excited to begin this new journey with Seidlitz and has no doubts that fans will be pleased with what he has to bring to the table.

When asked about Johnson‘s departure, INVIDIA stated: “We respect Travis‘s choice to honor his commitment to IN THIS MOMENT but it left us in a tough spot. It’s hard for us as well — Travis is family and is part of the INVIDIA story.

“We are beyond happy that Evan was interested and fits in so well in the INVIDIA camp. He’s a guy we all know well and the band as well as the fans are in great hands.

“We sincerely hope you will all welcome Evan to the fold like we have and come see us on tour this summer!”

Johnson added: “It was a really tough choice for me to step back from fronting INVIDIA. I love singing and am so proud of ‘As the Sun Sleeps’. INVIDIA is family to me. I mean, I just can’t be in two places at the same time and I had to honor my commitment to IN THIS MOMENT.

“I can’t imagine a better fit than Evan. It was actually a suggestion I had brought up to the band.

“I truly hope all of the IN THIS MOMENT fans who have supported INVIDIA welcome him to the band.

“It’s a tough one knowing someone else is singing my tunes but I can’t see myself holding INVIDIA back.”

Seidlitz said: “When Matt Snell called me up and asked me to join INVIDIA full-time, I didn’t have to think very long about it before I said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it.’ I knew I could no longer keep a commitment with VYCES.

“The guys in VYCES as well as Travis have been nothing but supportive in my decision.

“Travis did a wonderful job on the album vocally and I look forward to singing these songs every night on tour.”

The tour will begin on May 17 in Los Angeles at the Whisky A Go Go and wrap up on June 4 in Fullerton, California.